MRSA
is usually transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared
items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else's infection
(e.g., towels, used bandages). – Ypsilanti Public Schools

Color code hand and
bath towels.
"This way everyone has their one color so family members don't swap towels
and viruses, " says Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of respiratory care
at Mount Sinai in New York City, and the author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu.
"If people are burrowing their faces in towels, they are doing more than
drying off, they are depositing germs." If you don't want to color-code, use
a waterproof magic marker on white towels, so every family member knows
which one is theirs, he suggests.

Chlamydia as well as all bacteria are
pretty resilient when it comes to survival outside the human body,
sharing a towel can transfer the bacteria. - Chlamydia-help.

Cold sores are contagious. If
you have an active cold sore, you can easily spread it to
others. Kissing or sharing the same cup can cause it to spread. Sharing a
towel or toothbrush are just a few of the many ways this virus gets spread.
- Associatedcontent.com

While
trichomoniasis is usually passed sexually, it may be picked up from contact
with damp or moist objects such as towels, wet clothing, or a toilet seat,
if the genital area gets in contact with these damp or moist objects. -
www.4woman.gov

Indirect contact transmission occurs when the disease-causing
organism is transmitted from the reservoir
to a susceptible host by means of a inanimate carrier called a fomite,
which can be a towel, drinking cup, or eating utensils. Hepatitis and AIDS
epidemics can occur when contaminated syringes serve
as fomites among intravenous drug users. - science.jrank.org

What can you do at home to
help soothe impetigo? Keep the affected areas clean and covered, which
should help prevent any further infection. Don’t share towels, clothing, or
bed linens and wash them separately from your other clothing in hot water. – SkinCare-News.com

Remember to take a towel with
you when you go to the gym. Sharing someone's towel also means you are
sharing any health problems they may have, such as pubic lice or penile
warts. – Netfit.co.uk

Using a towel for feet after walking
barefoot, then moving the same towel to the rest of your body also can open
a door to infection. Sharing a towel is a nono, as is using the same towel
on your feet (and body) that you use to wipe down equipment at the gym. –
NWI.Com, Health Focus

Studies show shared towels
can spread staph bacteria, says Stuart Levy, M.D., president of the Alliance
for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics.

Surprisingly, the
doctors found that many hospitals and clinics also use common towels. And
some of the hospital bugs were the deadliest of all staphylococci—the
strains that are resistant to most forms of penicillin and many other
antibiotics. Among the worst places was a maternity ward, where women picked
up infections and took them home with their babies. The Düsseldorf doctors
are confident that infectious diseases can be reduced by getting rid of the
common towel. – TIME.com

Crabs jump and Scabies move from person to
person by close contact, often during sex. You can also catch crabs and
scabies by sharing clothing, bedding, or towels with someone who has them. –
Homohealth.org

From the Little League field to the health club locker room,
the message is the same. "It's basic, common hygiene," she tells
WebMD.
"Wash your hands, and don't share razors. Don't share your bath towel, and
be sure to wash it!"

Using a towel for
feet after walking barefoot, then moving the same towel to the rest of your body
also can open a door to infection. Sharing a towel is a nono, as is using the
same towel on your feet (and body) that you use to wipe down equipment at the
gym. - American Podiatrist

"If you borrow a razor or towel
from another person and they don't have an infection and aren't colonized
with bacteria, it's not dangerous," she says. But then, how closely do you
examine someone when they offer you their towel or razor in a locker room?
WebMD.com

Who is at
risk from fungal infections?
Anyone sharing a towel or cleaning facilities with someone who has a fungal
infection. this explains why sometimes people in the family get the
infection at the same time – NailsInc.Com

We all know that dirty hands can
transmit germs and how important it is that we wash our hands before eating,
preparing and handling food or after using the toilet. But washing doesn't solve
the whole problem when it comes to getting hands clean. Because no matter how
clean and bacteria free hands are after washing, drying them on an ordinary
kitchen hand towel simply smears bacteria back on to them. Kitchen and washroom
hand towels are notorious for harboring and breeding bacteria, fuelled by their
shared and frequent use as well as the damp, temperature and humidity conditions
that enable bacteria to multiply uncontrollably!

Respiratory viruses that cause
influenza (the flu) or colds could be transmitted on a shared towel.
Theoretically, herpes simplex (cold sores), cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr
(mononucleosis) could also be transmitted in saliva on towels - MIT Medical

Important Links

"If people are burrowing their faces in towels, they are doing more than
drying off, they are depositing germs."